Dial-telephone device



June 24, 1930. A. L. PORTER 1,765,445

DIAL TELEPHONE DEVICE Filed April 16, 1929 L012 SQME 1 16.5.

2 5 FIG 4 W ""IIW mm YZZ INVENTOR. Amoms'r'rs L. PORTER.

' :HTORNEYS.

Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES ANTOINETTE L. ronTEn, or SANEEANcIsoO, CALIFORNIA DIAL-TELEPHONE DEVICE Application filed April 16,

This invention relates to dial telephones wherein the desired partyconnections are secured by the user of the telephone instruinent turninga finger-operated dial to various degrees of revolution from guidingindicia Visible through finger apertures in the dial.

The obj ects of the invention are to provide means for such telephoneinstruments whereby the dial indicia corresponding to the various fingeropenings may be located at night or in a lighting too poor to rendervisible the indicia printed on the fixed portions of the instrument andspaced below the revolving dial.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for a dialtelephone which will function in accordance with the above, and stillanother object is a special construction of such an attachment wherebythe at tachment will be cheap to manufacture and may be applied almostinstantly with no change to the standard dial'construction of thetelephone, yet which will permit of ready removal for repairs or changeof indicia should same be required.

Another advantage is such a construction as will not interfere in anyway with the standard indicia as placed on the instrument by -thetelephone company. Other advantages will appear in the followingspecification and accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of a dial telephone instrument withthe upper portion omitted and a part of the base broken away, theshowing being substantially 'full size.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the dial portion only of Fig. 1and with part broken away showing the internal construction of myattachment placed on the central or non-revolving portion of the device.

Fig.3 is a plan view of the revolving dial shown full size and fittedwith an optional 150 :m of my invention, wherein the device revolveswith the dial.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the device of Fig. 3 withportion broken away showing the internal construction of my attachment.I

1929. Serial No. 355,644.

Briefly described the invention comprises a narrow ring-like devicepreferably made of sheet metal and formed in such a manner so as toadapt it for springing tightly over an existing portion of the telephoneinstrument, either the fixed central hub of the dial, or the revolvingdial itself. The attachment ring carries indicia matter of relativelysmall size corresponding to the indicia matter of the telephone dial,the indicia of the attachment ring being impressed in some luminousmaterial either of the luminous paint or radium preparation as used inluminous dial figures.

In the drawings 1 is the base of the telephone instrument, 2 thestandard broken away, 3 the base of the dial device, 4 the fixed hub,and 5 the revolving dial. The revolving dial is provided with fingeropenings 6 and through which may be observed the indicia 7 carried onthe fixed base 3 of the dial device, while 8 isa finger stop adapted toarrest the motion of the dial in revolving same from any finger hole bymeans of a finger of the user.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 my attachment takes the formof a sheet metal ring 9 having an inverted L-shaped cross section and atubular flange 9' vertically split as at 10 in a plurality of places soas 89 to resiliently grip the outer portion of stationary hub 4. Theupper wall 9 of the ring lies flat upon the top of the hub and is aertured with small'openings 11 through w ich may be observed the"self-luminous indicia 12 impressed on a card or other sheet of material13 positioned beneath the upper flange or wall 9 of the ring and coveredby a ring of transparent material such as celluloid, isinglass, orsimilar substance as indicated 90 or more points and inserted frombelow, or worked in from above upon raising the device sli htly.

The evice as described above may be applied to any dial telephonewithout any change in the standard construction whatever, and since itis entirely open in the center as shown it does not interfere with thedata provided on the central hub of the telephone by the telephonecompany as indicated at 15 in Fig. 1.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the device is substantiallythe same as previ ously described, but of a diameter to spring tightlyover the revolving dial of the telephone instrument. In these figures ofthe drawing the device is also preferably made of sheet metaland'likewise has the upper flat flange 16, and the lower tubulargripping flange vertically split at a plurality of points as at 18 so asto firmly grip the dial 5. The upper surface of flange 16 is aperturedas at 19, and through which apertures may be seen the self-luminousindicia 20 impressed on a card or other thin sheet of material 21preferably covered on top with a sheet of transparent material 22 asdescribed for the showing of Fig. 1.

In the construction shown in "Figs. 3 and 4 the attachment ring 16 gripsthe dial so firmly as to tightly hold the indicia rings in position, yetmay be easily removed for any changes desired. The ring 16 being largerthan the revolvable dial 5 makes it necessary to provide an offsetfinger stop as shown at 23 so as to get clearance for the dial 5 andfirmly clamped ring 16 to revolve thereunder.

The construction of the attachment ring 16 it will be observed does notin any way interfere with the visibility of the regular indiciathroughthe fin er openings of the revolvable dial, nor with 5e indicia on thefixed hub of the instrument as normally provided.

In considering the invention as above described, it will be seen that itavoids any changing of the standard indicia of such dialtelephones, andby supplying relatively small lunnnous guiding indicia to the mainindicia greatly reduces the expense of preparation of such dials, andmakes it practicable to secure the advantages of a luminous dial atminimum expense for the indicia ring, and provides for easy removal ofthe rings as their luminosity wanes with time, all in a practicableeasily manufactured and applied attachment.

I claim:

1. In a dial telephone, a ring carrying spaced indicia similar to thedial indicia and formed in a manner to engage the dial telephoneapparatus with the indicia of the ring in relation to the indicia of thetelephone dial inwardly therefrom.

2. In a dial telephone, a ring carryin spaced indicia similar to thedial indicia an formed with a resilient collar adapted to engage thedial telephone apparatus with the indicia of the ring in relation to theindicia of the telephone dial.

3. In a construction as specified in claim 1, said ring provided with acentral opening of a size to clear indicia normally provided on thetelephone instrument.

4. In a. construction as specified in claim 1, said ring comprising asheet metal construction of substantially L-shaped cross section withone leg adapted for gripping the dial apparatus at a point above therevolvable dial thereof, and the other leg carrying the indicia.

5. In a dial telephone, a ring comprising a sheet metal construction ofsubstantially L-shaped cross section with one leg adapted for grippingthe dial apparatus, and the other leg apertured for the indicia, and asheet of indicia carrying material beneath the apertures, said other legand indicia carrying material arranged and adapted to overlie a portionof the upper surface of said dial apparatus.

6. In a dial telephone, a ring carrying spaced indicia similar to thedial indicia, said ring comprising a sheet metal construction ofsubstantially L-shaped cross section with one leg split to formresilient members adapted for gripping the dial apparatus.

7 In a dial telephone, a ring carrying spaced indicia similar to thedial indicia and formed in a manner to engage the fixed hub of the dialtelephone apparatus above the revolvable dial thereof with the indiciaof the ring in relation to the indicia of the telephone dial.

ANTOINETTE L. PORTER.

